Haslemere Museum

About the museum

The museum was founded in 1888 by the surgeon Sir Jonathan Hutchinson to show his growing natural history collection. It began in outbuildings at his farm home in Haslemere, and by 1895 the collection had outgrown that space and moved to Museum Hill. In 1926 it moved to its present home on Haslemere High Street, a Grade II listed building. The museum is an independent charity, and a centenary appeal is paying for the upkeep of the building.

The collections now hold nearly half a million specimens, artefacts, papers and images. Three main galleries show them. Human History runs from the Stone Age to the Victorian period and includes an Ancient Egyptian collection and a collection of European peasant art. Natural History is the largest collection, with taxidermy, butterflies, shells and plant specimens from around the world, including the museum's mascot, a bear called Arthur. Geology displays rocks, minerals and fossils, among them ichthyosaurs and insects preserved in amber, with interactive displays and sounds.

The grounds include a lawn, a woodland boardwalk, a pond, an 18th-century gazebo and a sensory garden that opened in April 2025. The local Visit Haslemere information service is based in the museum.

Highlights

• Natural history galleries with Arthur the bear and worldwide butterfly and shell collections
• Geology gallery with ichthyosaur fossils and insects in amber
• Human history from the Stone Age to the Victorian era, with an Ancient Egyptian collection
• Sensory garden, woodland boardwalk and pond
• Daily gallery quizzes and trails, activity backpacks and family events

Permanent exhibitions

• Human History Gallery – Artefacts from the Stone Age to the Victorian era, with an Ancient Egyptian collection and a collection of European peasant art.
• Natural History Gallery – The museum's largest collection, with taxidermy including its mascot Arthur the bear and butterflies, shells and plant specimens from around the world.
• Geology Gallery – Rocks, minerals and fossils, including ichthyosaurs and insects preserved in amber, with interactive displays and sounds.

Founded

1888

Operated by

Haslemere Educational Museum (independent charity)

Admission & discounts

Admission is free.

Admission is by donation.

Accessibility

• Wheelchair accessible
• Elevator: no information
• Accessible restroom: no information
• Accessible parking: no information
• Service dogs welcome
• Tactile models & exhibits: no information
• Sign language tours: no information
• Easy-to-read materials: no information
• Audio description: no information

The museum states that there is disabled access throughout the building; visitors can contact the museum to discuss access needs or to arrange a nearby drop-off point. The sensory garden has raised borders and wheelchair-accessible paths. Dogs are not allowed in the museum or grounds except assistance dogs. Early Birds sessions open the museum early for families with children on the autism spectrum.

Kids & families

Great for kids & families

• Family tours & workshops
• Activity booklet, scavenger hunt or kids’ audio guide
• Hands-on stations

Family events run through the year, gallery quizzes and trails are available every day, and activity backpacks can be borrowed. Museum Explorers (ages 5 to 11, no parent needed) meets monthly on a Saturday and during school holidays, and fortnightly Early Years sessions for under-5s combine a story and a craft in term time. The geology gallery has interactive displays and sounds.

Getting there & parking

By car, enter the postcode GU27 2LA in the satnav. From London or Guildford take the A3 southbound and follow the signs for Brook and the Witley Centre; from Portsmouth or Petersfield take the A3 northbound, then the B2131 at Liphook into Haslemere.

Amenities & dining

• Museum shop

There is a museum shop, and a plant stall in the garden in summer. The Visit Haslemere tourist information service is based in the museum.

Events & venue rental

The museum hasn’t published any information on this.

Plan your visit